Study Abroad in the Netherlands Types of Universities in the Netherlands
1. Research Universities
Programmes at research universities place a strong emphasis on academic learning and research. Bachelor’s programmes last three years and usually do not include work experience while
Master’s programmes are around two years long.
There are 13 research universities in the Netherlands, ten of which are in the Top 150 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 and the other three are just outside this range. 12 of them offer over 185 Bachelor's degrees in English. The top ten universities and their contact details are as follows:
World University Rank 2021
Netherlands Rank
2021 University City
62 1
Wageningen University & Research PO Box 9101 6700 HB Wageningen The Netherlands Tel: +31 317 480 100 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.wur.nl/en.htm Wageningen 66 2 University of Amsterdam PO Box 1605 1000 BP Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel: + 31 205 251 401 WhatsApp: +31 648 347 669 Digital Student Service Desk
https://student.uva.nl/contact-en-locaties/digitale-student-service-desk.html Web: https://www.uva.nl/en
Amsterdam
Leiden University PO Box 9500 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands Tel: +31 715 272 727 Email: [email protected] Web:https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en Leiden 72 4
Erasmus University Rotterdam PO Box 1738 3000 DR Rotterdam The Netherlands Tel: +31 10 4 088 880 (option 1) WhatsApp: +31 623 372 156 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.eur.nl/en Rotterdam 75 5 Utrecht University PO Box 80125 3508 TC Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 30 253 35 50 WhatsApp: +31-6-41634378 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.uu.nl/en Utrecht 78 6
Delft University of Technology PO Box 5 2600 AA Delft The Netherlands Tel: +31 152 789 111 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/ Delft 80 7 University of Groningen PO Box 72 9700 AB Groningen The Netherlands Enschede
Tel: +31 50 363 9111 Email: [email protected] Web: [email protected]
116 8
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands T +31 205 989 898 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.vu.nl/en/ Amsterdam 121 9 Maastricht University PO Box 616 6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands Tel: +31 43 388 2222 Email: [email protected] Web:https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ Maastricht 136 10
Radboud University Nijmegen PO Box 9102 6500 HC Nijmegen Tel: +31 24 361 61 61 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.ru.nl/english/ Enschede
2. Universities of Applied Sciences
Universities of Applied Sciences offer profession-orientated programmes which are designed for students who wants to focus on specialising in a particular career after graduation rather than continuing with further study.
Undergraduate degrees take around three to four years and include a compulsory work placement. Classes at Universities of Applied Sciences are smaller and the programme is more fixed.
There are 41 Universities of Applied Sciences ranging in terms of size and focus. Larger
Universities of Applied Sciences offer a range of courses in English, whereas those that are very small specialise in a particular field and have only one or two courses available.
Universities of Applied Sciences are not included in global ranking as they do not focus on research output.
Some of the reputable Universities of Applied Sciences include: • Fontys University of Applied Sciences
• HAN University of Applied Sciences
• Rotterdam University, University of Applied Sciences • Saxion University of Applied Sciences
• Stenden University of Applied Sciences • The Hague University of Applied Sciences • Avans University of Applied Sciences
3. Private Universities
In addition to these two university types, there is also a limited number of private universities where they offer specialised degree courses in particular fields such as hospitality and tourism and are considerably more expensive.
4. University Colleges
Some of universities have integrated colleges of higher education or University Colleges that offer a liberal-arts style of education, similar to American colleges. Some research universities also offer most of their teaching in English at their University Colleges such as Utrecht, Leiden and
Amsterdam.
Degree Programmes
There are around 400 Bachelor’s degrees and 1,200 Master’s degrees covering almost all
academic disciplines available in English. Some subjects, however, are not offered in English, such as dentistry, nursing and health and social care. The full list of programmes can be found here: https://www.studyinholland.nl/dutch-education/studies
Popular programmes with a limited number of available places is called a selective programme or a Numerus Fixus. Universities set their own criteria and may include an assessment day, an online exam or an interview as part of the selection process. Most of the English-taught degrees are exempt with an exception of medicine, psychology, international business administration, international relations and physiotherapy.
There is rarely an overlap between the subjects offered at a research university and Universities of Applied Sciences (with an exception to law, business and engineering), and when they do their approach and emphasis are very distinct.
Subjects that can only be found at Universities of Applied Science include physiotherapy, hotel management, teaching, music, and graphic design.
How to Apply to a University in the Netherlands
Application Timeline
• First week of October – admission process begins
• 15 January – application deadline for a Numerus Fixus programme • 1 May – a general deadline for all other study programmes
Entry requirement
International students need to meet the English language requirement where the accepted certificates and required scores at top-ranked universities include:
• TOEFL tests: overall score of 80-100 (internet based) or 600 (paper-based) • IELTS Academic: overall grade 6-7
• Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: score between 169-210
Students will also need to have studied specific mandatory subjects relevant to the programme they are applying for. For example, Maths is required for all Bachelor’s programmes offered at Wageningen University & Research, University of Amsterdam, and Delft University of
Technology. Physics is also required for all BSc programmes at Delft University of Technology except for Computer Science and Engineering, and Applied Mathematics.
Application Process
Studielink is a centralised admission service for most programmes. However, specific requirements differ from one university to another.
So, the first step is to contact the institution directly for details on exact enrolment procedure and whether the programme has a Numerus Fixus.
Studielink Enrolment Process
1. Applying for a Studielink account for a login detail on: https://www.studielink.nl/account/aanvragen/personalia
2. Entering personal details to receive a verification code or a “DigiD.” For students who are not a registered Dutch resident, their chosen institution has to identify them for this process.
3. Entering information about their previous education via the General Register of Student Numbers (exam data). They may be asked to send in copies of their diploma and
transcripts.
4. Proceeding with an enrolment application
5. Once all the steps are completed, Studiedlink will pass their information onto relevant institution.
6. Completing payment details for tuition fees. These fees must be paid before the students can be enrolled.
If the course has a Numerus Fixus, there may be additional steps in the enrolment process. Acceptance
Once a notification of acceptance is sent by the institution, the student has two weeks to accept it via Studielink. If they are not offered a place, they will be on a waiting list for when places become available.
Offers made is often classed as unconditional in the UK (EEE) as they will be conditional on passing the A' levels or at least passing enough of the A' levels that meet the minimum entry requirement.
